The defender of CSKA Klas Dalbeck in an interview for the club program summed up the final of the Western Conference, said about his first hockey training and a favorite place in Moscow.
- After the loss in the fifth match against SKA, you said that you were going to Saint Petersburg to win the sixth game. Were you so confident of success?
- You never know. Even in those matches that we lost, we had chances to win, but we couldn't do it. I knew that if we could show good hockey for 60 minutes, we would have a great opportunity to win.
- The sixth match of the series in St. Petersburg has become 200th as part of CSKA. Did you know about it before the game?
- No, I found out about it after the game from social media. I'm proud to play here for so long and have played 200 matches already. Time flies fast. This news has become a surprise for me.
- What were the most memorable moments for you during these years in CSKA?
- Of course, the victory in the Gagarin Cup outweighs the other moments. I'd say all the time I've been here has been great, but winning the cup is the biggest thing of my life.
- It's been a few days since the series against SKA. What can be summed up by this confrontation?
- We played against SKA right after the series with the "Lokomotiv", which lasted all seven matches, so we didn't have much time to think about the next opponent. I think the seventh game against the "Lokomotiv" made our team stronger - we realized how we should play to be effective and win the tough games. I think that experience helped us a lot in the series against SKA. We started well, leading 3-0, but that didn't mean they gave up. After that, we may not have played as aggressively as before. Even in the matches we lost, we could have won, but it wasn't our best hockey. But in the sixth game we rallied and showed a good game.
- Did the matches against SKA let you learn anything new about your team, about its potential?
- I think so, just like the seventh game against the "Lokomotiv". We led 3-0 and then lost two games, including a long one in the third overtime. But at this point, we focused as well as we could, and that speaks well of the character of our team.
- The opponent for the final series of the Gagarin Cup will be determined later. Have you watched any of the East Final matches between "Ak Bars" and "Avangard"?
- I haven't watched a single game, but I've seen clips of the best moments after matches and know the results.
- Which of the possible opponents do you find more dangerous and why?
- I think both teams are strong. The "Ak Bars" - "Avangard" series is different than ours against SKA, the teams win away all the time. We have already passed two very strong teams - "Lokomotiv" and SKA - so we will have a good chance to win in the final as well.
- Is it a plus for CSKA that the team will have a couple more days to recover before the final game than their opponent?
- I don't know. Before the previous series, SKA had more time to rest than we did, but we got the start of the series. We have five days until the final, I think that's plenty of time. One or two days to rest and then start preparing for the final once we know the opponent.
- What does CSKA have to show in the final series to defend the title?
- It is necessary to show the singleness of purpose and concentration. We know how we should play; we played like this the whole season and were successful. Even when we lost, we understood that the reason was that our game was not at the high level that we aspire to be. If we play the way we plan to, we'll have a great chance of winning.
- Let's go back 20 years. You started hockey relatively late, at the age of 9. Why and how did you choose this game?
- Yes, I started late. In my city was an autodrome, but Hockey was not the main sport. But for some reason my brothers began to play hockey, and at that time I basically played football and floorball.
- When you first came to a hockey training, did you already have any skills or did you have to learn everything from scratch?
- I knew how to skate, sometimes skated with my family, a couple of times at school. I wasn't very good, but I learned pretty quickly. I spent a lot of time on the ice after school, and I loved it.
- Do you remember your first major success in sports?
- I didn't have much success in the early years of my career (smiles). I can't even remember anything from that period.
- Did you immediately decide to become a professional hockey player, or did you initially play for fun?
- At first it was for fun. By the age of 13-14 years old, I stopped playing other sports and focused on hockey.
- How do you feel in Moscow? Do you like this city?
- Both me and my family really like Moscow. It is a very nice city, just like other big cities in Europe. Before moving to Russia, I had thoughts of what this country and its capital would be like, but Moscow exceeded all my expectations.
- What places in the capital of Russia do you like the most?
- I would say Patriarshiye Ponds, as you can walk there when the weather is good, there are many cafes and restaurants.
- And in conclusion, a few words for the CSKA fans who have been looking forward to the final?
- Thank you for your support throughout the season. Hopefully together we can make this playoffs special for all of us.
Brief Q&A
- What does team spirit mean to you?
- I would say that this is the joint attitude of a group of people to win.
- What is friendship?
- This is when you sincerely worry about each other. It is important within the team. A lot of guys in our team, myself included, have been playing here for a couple of years or more. We spend a lot of time together, both on and off the ice.
- Being a blueliner, is it easier for you to neutralize a power forward or a faster one, but not so big?
- It's more convenient for me to play against a big forward.
- What are your favourite places in Sweden?
- The southern part of the country, on the ocean coast, is very beautiful.
